Marauder House Rules
by starlight2twilight
Summary: A new breed of Marauders. Familiar characters. No O.C.s. Accepts Wolverine Origins, but ignores the rest of the X-Men movies.
1. Chapter 1

This is an AU story. I'm considering it a crossover fic with the comics and movies since I'm going to accept Wolverine Origins (the movie) and also the origins of the Marauders and original lineup. I'll explain more as it progresses, but for clarification purposes, that's what you need to know. :)

* * *

Evolution is nothing to be feared. It is simply the process of putting one step in front of the other. Standing up a little straighter, turning on the light switch when it gets dark. Those who do not do such a thing, die off. In the case of the Marauders, this is the process of evolving into a more honed machine. A better team. The first Marauders were selected for their.. _flexible_ moral beliefs.

**Case A**: Vertigo was a starving, dirty mess. Give her money and she became a willing participant with no vacillation about the Morlock Massacre.

I realized that loyalty to money did not create the type of team I was looking for. I needed a team that was willing to put my demands above all. I needed a deep, ingrained sense of loyalty.

I woefully underestimated the power of this type of loyalty until I studied Xavier and his motley crew of mutants. Some were disdainfully useless on paper, but they were more than willing to lay their lives time and time again. Loyalty to me, not to money, became my new factor for my new breed of Marauders.

I sent my old Marauders into bases to free mutants that were forced into testing. From these underfed creatures, I was able to sort them. I found those who were missed by their families, loved regardless of their mutations.

They were returned to their families. I had no use for them.

Those left were broken, in a sense. People are essentially pack creatures. I offered an identity to those who were lacking. I offered them a chance to find the sense of belonging that they were scared to admit they needed. I offered them a chance for revenge. Some politely refused my offer, to which I sent those to Xavier.

But some looked up with hope at what I offered them. Those were the ones who became my new Marauders.

Now, I am certain Xavier would propose that I enslaved these mutants and forced them into my ranks, but that has never been the case. I want to make this clear: no Marauder has ever been forced. All have come willingly. A testament to the true nature of humanity, no?

I have fed them. Clothed them. Trained them on their mutations. Helped them realize their true potential. And for this, I was given an unquestionable loyalty.

For all my trouble, I noticed that several stood out amongst my Marauders. These four females became the star pupils of my team. They led my Marauders. They trained them. Resourceful and resilient. I was able to focus on my research while my own personal horsemen took control.

* * *


	2. Marauder 3432

I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the dry heat of the town I grew up in. See, I'm a mutant. My granddaddy was a mutant, too. But he got some recognition. I just got called Crazy. But that's all done and gone in the past. The past isn't too forgiving.. sure as hell as a nasty habit of biting you in the ass when you ain't lookin' right clear and proper. But the past is exactly that: the past. I knew my life wasn't going to be the same when they took me. I didn't have a lot a friends growing up, mainly cuz they thought I was all crazy.. back when mutant was a dirty word and got your mouth washed with soap and shushed when you mentioned it.

Like a giant birth defect. Just ignored it plain and proper. Oh, I looked normal on the outside. Couldn't tell I was a mutant from a line up. But give me a gun? I'll shoot anything and everything on the mark. I'm a damn good shot. Got a little bit of extra durability and healing and all that jazz, too.

But I wasn't more than 15 when they took me. I was all by myself just in the big ole back yard. Shooting cans off an old fence rail. I saw a man watch me for a little bit. I didn't recognize him, but I learned better than to draw attention to myself. I shot a couple more cans off the rail and backed up my box of shells and booked it back into the house.

It was that night when they took me. Found myself struggling against some men all dressed up in combat gear. Drugged me and dragged my sorry ass right out of the window. I don't know if they hurt my parents or even if my parents opened the door for 'em. Don't know. Don't care.

* * *

I was in that hell hole for just shy of I think two years. Next thing I knew, I was staring into the face of some green haired white lady. Looking like a couple shades south of crazy as all hell. Asked me to "kindly step outside my cell." I knew from the way she talked, she sure as hell wasn't from around here – oh hell, maybe she was. I didn't know where I was. I just knew that I wasn't home. And she didn't sound like home.

When I got out into the hall, only thing I remember were the bodies. Piled up real high like. Ground was slicker than a coon in a hen house. I slipped a little bit, but that lady grabbed my arm and made sure I didn't end up on the ground. You know in the dark, blood coated floors look like oil? I just knew it wasn't oil like in the mechanic shops. Oil sure as hell don't smell like that. All I could think of was that old Johnny Cash song "Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer." That's what happened. That green haired lady helped make those damn soldiers pay for everything. And I wasn't feelin' the least bit poorly 'bout it – no, siree!

When we finally got out of the building – all of us from this area were huddled together like geese—they tossed us all in a plane and got out of the real quick like. I looked out the window for a little bit and sized up the other kids.

I really didn't get to see or talk to them before, but someone of them were crying.. for what, had no idea. I was just peachy. I knew that there people were gonna go and take us somewhere better. I looked at the blue skinned lady. She smiled at me and I just grinned right back. She said she had a daughter bout my age. I asked where she was, she just smiled again and said she was waiting for us to come on back to The Facility. I knew it was capitalized by the way she said it. I asked her if she lived there and she said no. I asked if she and her daughter was going to go home once we got there and she said no again. Said her daughter was staying there. Said she had something to learn and that it was for the best. I knew it was a sensitive subject cause she wasn't smiling anymore. I asked if I could stay with her daughter since I wasn't sure if I had a place to go after this. She looked at me curiously and I felt like I ought to tell her that they all called me Crazy back home and I wasn't in any rush to get going back. Said she looked in my file and said I was gone for awhile – maybe it was different now? I snorted. Said it was a couple years of that way at home.. I doubted a couple years will change their minds anyway. She smiled a little deeper and said the magic words, "I'm sure Nathaniel will be delighted. Of course you need to take it up with him, but I'm sure he will be more than happy to let you join his team."

I grinned like a loon right back at her. I knew right there that that Nathaniel guy was gonna let me stay. Gonna be the first time in my life that someone actually wanted me around. I went back to looking at the window. All the crying and sniffling was ruining my happiness. I was just gonna ignore that until it was time to land. After that, well, after we land I can listen to them. Right now, I gonna enjoy being free from that awful place and riding in my first airplane.

* * *

That Nathaniel was really Dr. Essex or Mister Sinister. I guess he looked scary, like a vampire from one of those scary movies. But honestly, I wasn't too scared of him. I knew he was gonna let me stay. Gonna teach me all kinds of stuff and let me work for him. I met the blue lady's daughter, too. Well, she wasn't awake. Apparently she's been in a coma for awhile now. "Healing" they said. Said it was just a little bit longer and she'll be training with me. Until that time, I need to gain some weight and some strength. Said it wasn't going to be a big deal and ate the food they sat in front of me. I ate the two crying kids' dinner, too. They sure as hell weren't going to eat it. Threw it up. Dr Essex just smiled at me. Told me it was going to take time, but I might want to take it easy until I was up the speed. I thought I was in trouble, thought I ruined my chances. He musta read my mind or something and he said the sweetest words I ever heard, "No, child. We need you here. We need you for the team."


	3. Marauder 2309

When I opened my eyes, I knew right away I wasn't where I closed them. For example, I wasn't wearin' a hospital gown last time I could remember.. and I wasn't in a bed with an IV and a PICC line stuck on my upper inner arm. And I wasn't looking at a man with sharp pointy teeth and a massive widow's peek.

I would swear up and down on a stack of Bibles. I got no idea what the hell had happened. I frantically look around for Momma, but I don't see her. I don't see anyone I know. I just see that man and some girl around my age. The girl looks like she's about gonna pee herself from excitement. I have no idea what is going on, so I ask real nice like in case I'm in trouble, "Where's Momma?"

The man ignores my question as he writes down information from a screen. The girl gives me a big grin and bounces over to my bed. She flops her tush on the edge of the bed and chirps out "The blue lady?"

I knew that this girl was a mutant, especially if she knew what Momma looked like in her real form. Momma hid her mutation from people if they weren't mutants. It's still real rough out there for us. I just nod and the girl took that as me just practically begging her for more news.

"She left a couple weeks ago. Had work to do. I'm real glad you are awake. It's been awful boring here without you. The others are gone now. Just me and Dr. Essex at The Facility, that's with a capital."

I honestly think the girl is crazy. My mind feels so slow and foggy and I can barely understand her. I'm glad she is at least from the South. I don't think I could handle trying to figure out what someone is saying in another accent. It takes a bit, but that information finally settles into my brain right and proper like.

"Momma's gone? She left me here?"

"Yeah, she didn't LEAVE, LEAVE you. You were feelin' poorly, so we kept you here. I guess we are gonna train together. I'm a mutant, too!" the girl just blurts out, nothing but pure excitement just oozin' out of her. I wasn't sure how I was feeling about her. I just wanted Momma. I guess she could tell (or maybe she read my mind?) that I wasn't in the best of moods and needed my own space for a moment. I know she would forgive my manners for this, being I am sick and all.

She smiled a little sheepish smile and slid off the bed. She walked out of the room like her tail was between her legs. She stopped at the door wall and smiled softer at me, "I'm real sorry about all that, I've just getting' a little stir crazy here. Only so targets you can shoot 'fore you get tired of even that."

I smiled back at her. I know it's not her fault she was actin' a little forceful right away 'fore we met proper like. But I guess I would too if my own company was this doctor man who still hasn't spoken a word. I wonder if he –

"Yes, I can speak," he answered off handily, still focusing on the chart.

I felt myself turn eight different shades of red and the voice of the other girl pip out from the doorwall, "See! Ain't it awful? Always puttin' you on the spot. 'Specially since you just woke up and all. Mister Essex, sir, that wasn't real nice. She IS sick."

Dr. Essex smiled as he continued to write down in that chart. I could tell that he was fond of her, and hopefully me, too. I gave a loud sigh as I held out my wrist for him to take my pulse. I hate being sick.


End file.
